The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FJCE) has condemned conspiracy theories accusing Israel of involvement in a deadly train crash in Urda, Toledo, which occurred on October 28. The collision between two high-speed trains resulted in at least 69 fatalities and over 100 injuries, making it one of the deadliest railway accidents in recent Spanish history. Initial investigations indicated that a signaling failure was the cause of the crash.
In the days following the tragedy, a number of unfounded conspiracy theories and manipulated videos began circulating online, alleging that Israel orchestrated the accident. One widely shared post, viewed more than 100,000 times, pointed to the involvement of the French technology firm Thales Group, which provides railway signaling and safety systems in Spain. The post claimed that Thales has ties to Israeli intelligence, including former members of Unit 8200, and accused the company of supplying technology to Israel’s military and security forces. The implication was that Israel might have deliberately sabotaged the railway system.
An artificial intelligence-generated video also gained traction, falsely depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatening Spain with supply cutoffs and additional "train accidents." The video, which appears to show Netanyahu writing the word "Spain" on a whiteboard, was shared in multiple languages despite being fabricated.
Further fueling the misinformation, the account Irlandarra, known for posting antisemitic content, published a video from April 2026 showing Netanyahu responding to Spain’s criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza. In that video, Netanyahu mentions sanctions against Spanish representatives at a coordination center and suggests that countries waging diplomatic wars against Israel would face consequences. Irlandarra’s post falsely linked Netanyahu’s comments to the recent train crash, insinuating a direct connection. The post, which referred to the crash as “accident” in quotation marks, amassed nearly 149,000 views.
On the day of the crash, the FJCE publicly expressed its condolences to the victims and their families, offered prayers for the injured, and praised the rescue efforts of survivors and emergency services. The federation called on the Spanish government to maintain transparency during the investigation and to ensure railway safety.
Following the spread of antisemitic accusations, the FJCE issued a further statement condemning the conspiracy theories as harmful and baseless. The organization pointed out that such claims have emerged from across the political spectrum and urged the public to rely on official investigations rather than misinformation.
The federation also linked the current wave of accusations to earlier conspiracy narratives that had surfaced following increased immigration into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta over the summer. It emphasized that attributing global or national problems to a single country or group aligns with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, to which Spain is a signatory. The FJCE warned that these falsehoods evoke historical episodes of Jewish persecution and discrimination, and remarked that similar forms of harassment have been recurring in Spain in recent years.
In closing, the federation reaffirmed the Spanish Jewish community’s solidarity with the victims and the nation during this time of mourning.